title: A test of the Self-Help Model: learned response to chronic illness experience.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the essential dynamics of learned response to chronic illness experience. A Self-Help Model was tested with 396 subjects with diagnoses of rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis-related conditions. Self-Help Model variables include disease characteristics, background inputs, monitoring, severity of illness, dependency, uncertainty, enabling skill, self-help, and life quality. Severity of illness, disease characteristics, background inputs, and monitoring explained 24% of the variance in dependency and 40% of the variance in uncertainty. Monitoring was the strongest contributor to explanation of enabling skill; however, only a small amount of the variance in enabling skill was explained, adjusted R2 = .15. Enabling skill was the strongest predictor of self-help, beta = .42, minimizing the influence of uncertainty, beta = -.23 and dependency, beta = -.10, on self-help, R2 = .55. Self-help was strongly related to life quality, beta = .62. Self-help and uncertainty explained 49% of the variance in life quality. Results suggest a basis for interventions that reduce dependency and uncertainty and enhance enabling skill.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Arizona, Tucson.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Braden
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D007858:Learning; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011788:Quality of Life; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012803:Sick Role